The present invention relates to an apparatus for automated wire harness manufacture, and, more particularly, to a robotically controlled apparatus for automated wire lay which is capable of insertion of contacts affixed to the leading and the trailing ends of wire segments into respective contact holding devices, for use in wire harness manufacture.
As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, a completed wire harness typically comprises a multiplicity of wires configured in a desired bundled layout, with each end of each wire being terminated in a desired manner. For example, each such wire may have a contact affixed to each of its ends, where each contact is to be inserted into a respective contact holding device, such as into a connector plug. In complex arrangements, numerous wires of varying lengths and types can comprise a single wire harness. Furthermore, such wires may require differing contact configurations at their respective ends. In such a situation, the task of producing such wire harnesses has been known to be a particularly laborious activity.
In the prior art, devices are known to effect wire feeding and lead making. Such devices, however, suffer from an inability to effect wire lay in combination with contact insertion of both the leading and trailing ends of a wire being manipulated. Furthermore, during development of an apparatus to cure the above insufficiency, it has been found to be desireable to enable any such apparatus to be operable independent of contact style, and independent of wire length or cross-section. It has been found yet further desireable that the grasping portion of any such apparatus be configured to enable rapid engagement and disengagement with any selected wire segment to be manipulated.